Senior Autonomy Engineer - Controls
Skydio
Listing collected from Skydio's career site. NextChapter is independent of Skydio.
San Mateo, CA · Posted February 26, 2026
Just laid off? Start here: a plan for the first weeks
More in California job market · Aerospace & Defense · Engineering jobs
More roles at Skydio
- Program Manager, DFR - New Jersey
- Production Supervisor - Dayshift · Hayward, CA
- Senior Hardware Operations Program Manager · Hayward, CA
- Senior Manufacturing Test Engineer · Hayward, CA
- Software Engineer - Cloud Simulation & Full-Stack · San Mateo, CA
- Electrical Design Engineer · San Mateo, CA
Similar jobs
- Senior Robotics Software Engineer (Integrated System Test, Sunnyvale) · Teradyne · Sunnyvale, CA
- Robotics Software Engineer - II/III · Sri International · Menlo Park, CA
- Staff Algorithm Engineer - Advanced Sensing Algorithms · Dexcom · CA
- Senior Algorithm Engineer - Sensing Algorithms · Dexcom · CA
- Staff Autonomy Systems Engineer · Joby Aviation · Concord, CA
- Senior Autonomy Systems Engineer · Joby Aviation · Concord, CA
Where San Mateo, CA ranks
Where San Mateo, CA placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #1Best cities for engineering pay after cost of living$216k · of 94
- #1Best cities for finance pay after cost of living$162k · of 35
- #1Best cities for HR pay after cost of living$158k · of 15
- #1Best cities for legal pay after cost of living$238k · of 20
- #1Best cities for security pay after cost of living$241k · of 10
- #1Best cities for media and entertainment pay after cost of living$209k · of 9
Rankings about engineering jobs
- Best cities for software and engineering jobs #1 San Francisco (3,412 openings)
- Best cities for engineering pay after cost of living #1 San Mateo ($216k)
- Most requested AI skills in engineering jobs #1 AI tools in daily work (6.1%)
- AI tools named most often in engineering jobs #1 Claude (1.7%)
- Employers with the most engineering jobs #1 Amazon (2,992 roles)
How AI is used in this kind of work
AI use among engineers, all other is little observed so far. Measured exposure for engineers, all other: 7% (little observed).
Share of this job’s tasks that AI is already used for at work, from real usage. It is not a forecast of job loss, and a low number means no use seen yet. Source: Anthropic Economic Index.
Skills this job asks for
Say which you have and which you want to build. We use it to match you to jobs like this one.
About the job
Skydio is the leading US drone company and the world leader in autonomous flight, the key technology for the future of drones and aerial mobility. The Skydio team combines deep expertise in artificial intelligence, best-in-class hardware and software product development, operational excellence, and customer obsession to empower a broader, more diverse audience of drone users, from utility inspectors https://www.skydio.com/solutions/energy-and-utilities to first responders https://www.skydio.com/solutions/public-safety, soldiers in battlefield scenarios https://www.skydio.com/solutions/national-security/tactical-isr, and beyond https://www.skydio.com/solutions.
About the Role:
The controls algorithms running onboard our autonomous drones define its behavior creating stable/smooth flight and gimbal motion. This enables our pilots to easily execute their objectives from inspection & mapping to missions and security use cases. You will contribute to the development and implementation of the core motion planning software touching everything from the low-level stabilization and control, to high level task-specific frameworks, with a particular focus on the low-level controls.
How You’ll Make an Impact:
- Develop, tune, and evaluate low level controllers and trajectory optimization
- Work across the software system to define the right data and interfaces for successful control
- Work with the UX team to explore and define planning/UI boundaries for new interaction paradigms
What Makes You a Good Fit:
- Industry or Research experience writing software that controls real hardware, e.g. grasping manipulation of a robotic arm, self-driving cars, aerial robots, or any kind of mobile robot.
- Modern and classical control design methods.
- High proficiency in C++.
- Dynamic programming.
- Non-linear optimization.
- Solid software engineering foundation and a commitment to writing clean, well-architected code.
- Obtaining FAA Part 107 certification within the first 60 days of employment is strongly encouraged for all Skydio employees and required for certain positions.
Compensation:
At Skydio, our compensation packages for regular, full-time employees include competitive base salaries, equity in the form of stock options, and comprehensive benefits packages. Compensation will vary based on factors, including skill level, proficiencies, transferable knowledge, and experience. Relocation assistance may also be provided for eligible roles. The annual base salary range for this position is $170,000 - $240,000*. Fundamentally, we believe that equity is the key to long-term financial growth, and we ensure all regular, full-time employees have the opportunity to significantly benefit from the company's success. Regular, full-time employees are eligible to enroll in the Company’s group health insurance plans. Regular, full-time employees are eligible to receive the following benefits: Paid vacation time, sick leave, holiday pay and 401K savings plan. This position and all associated benefits are subject to applicable federal, state, and local laws, as well as the Company’s policies and eligibility criteria.
*Compensation for certain positions may vary based on the position’s location.
#LI-PG1
At Skydio we believe that diversity drives innovation. We have created a multidisciplinary environment that embraces the power of diverse perspectives to create elegant solutions for complex problems. We are committed to growing our network of people, programs, and resources to nurture an inclusive culture.
Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by federal, state or local anti-discrimination laws.
For positions located in the United States of America, Skydio, Inc. uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit https://www.e-verify.gov/